Durango

Thoughts on Durango: Sweet MB trails, no good lodging (other than Hotel Xterra)

Trails: Horse Gulch Road, Junction Creek, Colorado Trail, Hermosa

Saturday, Aug 6

Woke up peacefully this morning in the Hotel, without the rude awakening from the sprinkler system. Headed to my rec center to freshen up, and cheered for competitors in a sprint triathlon they had going out in the morning. I then shot just north of town to get in a bike ride on some tough trails. HUGE climbs today up to pretty high altitude…what a workout! The guy I was biking with was a very good climber, glad to say I didn't get dropped!

I then headed back into town to meet up with my rock climbing guide (Marcus from Southwest adventure guides), and spent the next 3 hours climbing X-Rock just outside of town. What an awesome time, with a view of the entire town from the top of the climb. Climbed tougher and tougher climbs each time, and started to develop some actual rock climbing skills. I was trying a very tough climb, hand slipped off a tiny crack and momentum took me down head first. Man was I glad my belay man was paying attention, b/c I was pretty close to the ground, and surely didn't want to hit that head first. The other guys in the session were freakin out about the way I fell head first...I guess that is why you keep your harness nice and tight! Oh, and make sure those leg straps are tight around the thigh and can't move...b/c if mine weren't...I am not sure I would be able to have kids :-0 But, after all, I was safe. I can't wait to post the climbing pics, they are pretty sweet...if only I could find that camera cable...ugh.



Since Durango is a little slow for me (no friends and no hostel to meet new friends), I decide to go catch Dukes of Hazzard at night…nice and relaxing after a tough day.

Oh, and I cannot find my cord to connect my camera to my laptop...this is no good. Plus I won't be able to pick up a new one until Denver (1 week away). This is the first thing that has been misplaced on my trip. Oh, did I mention before that I didn't forget a single thing on this trip? Probably the best job I have ever done packing :)

Friday, Aug 5

Well, I feel quite refreshed from my night of sleep in Hotel Xterra. Now, the only problem is I could use a place to shower. I decide to explore the town…which is pretty cool. Guy in the bike shop tell me not to ride until the afternoon b/c the trails will be wet. So, I have more time to kill. I find a Laundromat that has showers avail for $3.50, but after checking those out I decide it would probably be better not to shower for a week rather than use those! I also heard about a rec center that I go check out…and it is amazing!! Since I have time to kill, I pay the $4 fee, and work out for about 1.5 hours, then use the really nice locker rooms to shower up.

Time to get out and ride. I ride trails just outside of the town of Durango, and they are just awesome (really fast rolling singletrack with a few big climbs and drops)! Several hours of fun. And…a return to Hotel Xterra!!

Thursday, Aug 4

Made it into town around 8pm…and was starving. Headed to a decent looking brewery to grab dinner and a beer. After talking to the bartender about lodging, I quickly learned that there were no good lodging options in town. Sticking true to my desire to not stay in a hotel/motel for more than 3 nights on my trip, I was limited to camping options (25 min drive from town)…and setting up camp in the rain and mud.

So, some of you thought it would happen, others said I was nuts. Hotel Xterra officially opened its doors in Durango. That’s right, after about 20 min of rearranging the SUV, I had quite a comfortable pad in the back of the vehicle. I tested it out, and full extension…what else could a man ask for?!?! So, I found a nice little residential side street, and pulled up that e-brake. That is HELPIN THE BILLS!! Fell asleep quite well b/c I was so tired, but around 4am started to hear a funny noise on the car. At first I thought it was raining, but the noise was spread about 10 seconds apart…look out the window to see sprinkler system going full tilt and spraying into my cracked windows…UGH! So, I jumped up in the front seat, drove around the block, and found a nice, quite spot to finish up my night of sleep.